In On The Record, we speak with members of the Precious Sound community about their music truths, precious mementos, and more.

In today's On The Record, we sit down with the duo behind our latest imagery - Bronze + Jussy from Second Story, a full-service creative studio that assists brands in shaping their visual narratives online. Bronze Avery, a musician/designer/director, and Jussy, a photographer/designer, collaborate to construct visual brand identities across the web and beyond. We discussed the convergence of music, art, and creativity, and how music has influenced their business and personal lives.

Bronze + Jussy of Second Story Sudio

Precious Sound: What did music mean to you growing up?

Bronze Avery: Music was the first thing that found me. Since then, I’ve always stuck by its side since it’s been the thing that’s stuck by mine. For me, it was a companionship - the lines constantly blurring whether I am the music or the music is me.

Jussy: Music was a total escape! As a kid, I remember locking myself in my bathroom, blasting CDs on a boombox, and practicing dance moves in the mirror for hours. My brain is always tickled, and I learned that it had a direct correlation to my expression at an early age. I'd collect so many CDs and am very thankful to my parents for having such a high tolerance for constant high volumes.

PS: What's an album, song, or piece of music that evokes a precious memory for you?

J: I remember the first song I ever loved - I was about 3 or 4 years old and became obsessed with the song ‘This Is Your Night’ by Amber. Every time I hear it now if I’m out and about, I’m flooded with that feeling of childhood. I feel lucky to have that symbol remain with me through time and needless to say that dance and pop are what I have on repeat.

B: Listening to “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac for the first time on a road trip to the beach with just my mom. It probably unlocked something in me.

PS: What role does music play in your life today?

J: It’s a connective tissue to my life! I’ve met so many of my friends through shared music interest, and I often work with musicians to capture imagery for their album artworks and press photos. (Bronze being one of them, of course.)

B: Music is absolutely my job, but it’s also my therapy, my insight into my deeper self, my life’s purpose, and also the greatest gift I can give or receive.

PS: What's your favorite spot to hear music?

J: One thing we love to do is bring our AirPods with us in Lyft rides and share audio simultaneously. We’ll be rapidly texting about production elements or mixes or background vocals we’ve never heard or hearing something new that stands out to us.

B: Yeah, and this is a perfect time to review new demos I’ve made as I get them ready for release.

The music corner at Second Story

PS: What’s on your playlist these days?

J: New pop music always keeps my energy up and connecting with friends, I love dance/edm for the gym and r&b when I want to make-believe that I’m an amazing singer in the shower.

B: I actually have a public playlist called Bronze BPM that I curate weekly. You can always expect dance pop mixed in with my old favorites. I started this as a way to share music with my community of fans - music has always been extremely social for me, all of my lifelong friends I’ve met through a shared love of the same music.

PS: What does an ideal evening look like to you?

B: I really love a nice dinner out, followed by a loose pregame and then a night out of dancing. Fast food usually follows after the night out.

PS: What most excites you about Precious Sound’s silver, gold, and platinum records?

J: The ingenuity is simply baffling, and creates a sense of curiosity and wonder - similar to when you hear a new song and thinking - how the hell did they do this?!

PS: What are your (musical) recommendations in and around LA?

B: I love going out to the Moroccan Lounge. It’s my favorite venue because the bar is separated from the stage, so the performance feels really intentional and the sound isn’t drowned out by people trying to talk at the bar.

Imagery created by Bronze + Jussy for Precious Sound

PS: You had a chance to work with our products, including our Beatles Stabilizer Set, interacting with them and shooting them, what most struck you?

J: The metallic finish. Hands down. It just gleamed in the best way, especially the interchangeable medallions.

Jussy creating in the studio

PS: You run Second Story, a photography studio in LA. What are your proudest moments and learnings as entrepreneurs in a creative space?

J: Our proudest moments are always when we see a new project finally go live after months of work in the backend. It’s like we dropped our kid off on the first day of school to go see the world. In addition, we love to reflect on where we started and where we’ve come. The early days being scrappy.

Bronze in his element on stage

PS: Bronze, tell us about your journey as a musician. What inspired you? What has been your favorite moment?

B: Music is a part of my DNA, so I’ve been singing, writing, and producing ever since I was 10 years old. I was a big choir/theatre nerd in high school which is where the foundation of my formal training comes from. Once I got into college I was doing EDM toplines in my friend’s closet before I ever released any music of my own. I wouldn’t say there’s one specific favorite moment, but my favorite part of the process is listening to a song I’ve made right after it’s finished. It’s one of the few times I get to experience the art in its most raw form.

PS: Wow, and what are your hopes and dreams, as an artist, for 2024?

B: My plan is to make music history. I want to influence people and become a reference point for my sound and the way I’ve approached my music project.

PS: Jussy, you have now worked with Bronze on several of his music videos, such as SCAN AND COPY. How has it been combining the audio and visual creative?

J: We are both so proud of SCAN AND COPY. As artists, you constantly revisit and chip away at every experience to come back and show up better than before. This was a moment where we got to see all of our hard work come to light. The choreo slaps (Thanks Kara Canella and Jaeden Gomez), the song is a bop, and we got to capture Bronze’s magnetic energy.

Creating art on the road

PS: Bronze, you also DJ. If you were to DJ a Precious Sound party, what would be in the mix? (is that even the cool way to say that these days?)

B: When I DJ it’s always a mixture of really great dance pop. I love to blend new favorites and tried and true classics, but I never play a song that I’m not fully obsessed with.

PS: What song or artist would you like to see (and hear) on a gold record?

J: Am I allowed to say anything by Bronze?

B: That would be amazing. Perhaps my next upcoming project, HEATWAVE.